


Sokkla Saturday 2020

by otpruinedmylife



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, F/M, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:47:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otpruinedmylife/pseuds/otpruinedmylife
Summary: Organized by some mad geniuses over on Tumblr, Sokkla Saturday 2020 is a celebration of the Sokkla ship. Each week, I will get to choose between one of two prompts and write something based on the prompt I selected.
Relationships: Azula & Sokka (Avatar), Azula/Sokka (Avatar)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 32





	1. October 3: Bodyguard and VIP AU

**Sokkla Saturday – October 3: Bodyguard and VIP AU**

* * *

**“Azula”**

* * *

**{A/N: Imagine that Sokka is a talented singer and that Azula is his bodyguard. This is a modern AU, and the characters are all aged up to be in their early-to-mid-twenties. P.S. This is getting posted around 1:00 AM on October 4, but it is still October 3 somewhere so.** **Also, viewer discretion is advised. There isn’t anything NSFW per se, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. Lol** }

* * *

“SOKKA! SOKKA! SOKKA,” the crowd chanted in unison, begging Sokka to emerge from backstage.

Sokka turned around to face Azula with a smug, “you hear that, Azula?”

Azula rolled her eyes at the sight of Sokka’s prideful display. “I can’t believe there are this many stupid people gathered in one place.”

The crowd’s chanting grew louder, causing Sokka to turn his head back to his eager fans who were calling out his name. “They love me, Azula!”

“This is turning into a cult,” Azula uttered before groaning. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed in exasperation.

“So,” Sokka, replied, changing the subject. Sokka started rubbing his chin, and he took pleasure in annoying Azula. “Are you gonna watch me while I perform for all my fans?”

Azula curled her lips in disgust. “I would never allow myself to listen to your wretched songs.”

“No wonder your fans love you so much. They found someone just as idiotic as them,” Azula added with disdain.

“No need to get jealous, Azula,” Sokka chastised, almost laughing at the sight of seeing Azula’s facial expression morph from shock to anger.

“I would never in a million lifetimes be jeal-!”

“Oh, it’s showtime,” Sokka cut Azula off which seemed to infuriate her even more. “Wish me luck!”

Sokka jogged on stage, waving enthusiastically to his fans.

“SOKKA! SOKKA! SOKKA,” the crowd roared, cheering Sokka on before he even started to perform while Sokka egged them on to cheer louder.

Azula rolled her eyes again at the sight of Sokka rousing his fanbase. Already tired with his antics for one night, Azula began reviewing her security plan. In Azula’s opinion, Sokka was pouring gasoline on a wildfire with his attempts to connect with his fans. Only an idiot would do that, Azula bitterly thought.

* * *

When Azula began hearing Sokka’s voice, she quietly began subconsciously tapping her foot in sync with the songs’ beat. “Zuko,” Azula spoke into the radio transceiver, “what is your status?”

“The stage is clear. Some of Sokka’s fans were trying to make their way on the stage, but I held them back.”

“Very well,” Azula replied. “Mai, keep a visual of the target.”

“This is so boring,” Mai lamented

“Hold off until I give the command.”

“Fine,” Mai replied. 

“Ty Lee, make sure to clear the roadways on our exit. I will not have anyone obstructing our path,” Azula ordered through the transceiver.

“I love this song,” Ty Lee declared, tuning out Azula’s directions.

“Ty Lee,” Azula yelled through the two-way transceiver, bringing Ty Lee back to reality.

“Sorry! Copy that, Azula!”

“Toph, I want you to keep a visual over each exit point. If you catch one whiff of an uprising, destroy it immediately.”

“I can’t wait for someone to give me an excuse so I can start clobbering people” Toph replied.

“You all have your assignments. Dismissed,” Azula uttered with finality. She glanced down at her foot and stopped the tapping immediately.

* * *

Azula pulled out a blueprint of the arena and focused on developing the contingency exit strategies. She retrieved a marker and began drafting her plans to escape in the event the Zuko and Toph failed their directives of keeping the stage and exits clear, respectively.

Although Azula was supposed to be focusing on running countless what-if scenarios, she heard the beat of the next song. The upcoming song was not in the same, upbeat style Sokka’s fans were used to. No, this was different…

Realization hit Azula when she recognized that this was the song that Sokka had not titled. No matter how much he thought about giving this song a name, Sokka had trouble. The lyrics came easily to him, but the title seemed to elude him.

Everything about the song was slower yet passionate. She heard the song before and had mixed feelings about it. It brought feelings that Azula was certain she had banished years ago.

Azula began humming the melody, thankful the sound of the instruments and the boisterous crowd drowned the noise she produced when she was humming.

The lights in the arena were suddenly shut off, and a spotlight was shined on Sokka, making him the only thing visible on stage. And all Azula could feel in response were goosebumps.

_“And I can’t bear to be apart from you.”_

_“Every time you’re gone, I hold my breath,”_

_“I opened up my heart to you.”_

_“But every time I see you again, I forget how to breathe…”_

Azula stared at Sokka’s pained expression, feeling her own breath hitch. She abandoned her plans as Sokka serenaded the crowd with his voice. He shut his eyes, and Azula began to wonder why he chose to surprise the crowd with this song. A song that expressed his inner thoughts so openly…

Sokka extended his hand like he was reaching for something on the other side in the darkness.

_“So, stop pushing me away…”_

_“Anyone who hurts you will feel my blade.”_

Azula saw something move in the shadows, and she suspected someone used the darkness as a cover to surreptitiously sneak through the Alpha team and onto the stage.

_“To take your pain, I will walk a thousand miles!”_

She readied herself to strike quickly to prevent someone from interrupting Sokka’s performance. She struggled to see the figure in the darkness, but Azula figured her vision would get less impaired the closer she got to the intruder.

“Mai, execute the extraction,” Azula ordered.

“Finally, something to do,” Mai grumbled.

Suddenly, another spotlight was shown in the position of the shadowy figure, and that stopped Azula from approaching from the left and Mai from approaching on the right.

It was a beautiful woman who grasped Sokka’s hand, and Sokka pulled the woman close to him.

_“And after all the pain, I still melt when I see you smile…”_

Azula’s eyes widened when the woman smiled and both she and Sokka looked lovingly into each other’s eyes, each repeating the same line. Azula felt as if she were stabbed in the chest with a knife.

“Stand down,” Azula commanded. Her heart was pounding, but the figurative knife that was in Azula’s chest felt as if it were being turned ninety degrees. Both Azula and Mai returned to their original locations, and Azula began glaring at Sokka.

Azula felt quasi-ashamed and embarrassed for believing there may have been something between her and Sokka. After this theatrical display, Sokka’s profile was bound to skyrocket, and Azula would be compelled to continue providing security services for Sokka.

After returning backstage, Azula threw herself into formulating the remaining contingency plans for their eventual exit. She knew better than to let these feelings override her objectivity; furthermore, she felt like a fool for believing in something her father told her was asinine.

She ignored the rest of the song even though she knew all the lyrics. Her favorite song now made her feel betrayed.

After a long applause and the crowd chanting Sokka’s name again, “my name is Sokka, and I rocked ya,” Sokka yelled into the microphone.

* * *

“Azula,” Zuko called out from the transceiver, breaking Azula’s stare from the blueprints to that showed where the Ty Lee was stationed. She wanted to leave already.

“Zuko, hold your position,” Azula replied after she composed herself. “Mai, acquire the target, and rendezvous with me and Ty Lee. Mai, Ty Lee, and I will take point. Zuko and Toph, bring up the rear.”

* * *

“Azula, what was the rush to get me out as soon as possible,” Sokka questioned.

“There was a security threat. We had to move you out immediately,” Azula lied. “Besides, you had plenty of fun fooling around with those morons you call ‘fans,’” Azula added, feeling the barb of her words since she, too, was one of those morons.

Sokka could feel Azula’s intense glare, she wanted to say something but not with Mai and Ty Lee in earshot to overhear their conversation.

Normally, the vehicle would be full of Sokka recalling the concert to Azula’s chagrin; therefore, this silence was perplexing. “Sokka,” Ty Lee stated, looking at the rear-view mirror to glance at Sokka while she was driving, “I heard you sang _that_ song. Did you ever get around to naming it?”

Sokka’s cheeks turned into a rosy color, “I – uh…” Sokka looked down to the floor mats, uncomfortable with how to answer the question truthfully.

“I named it after someone,” Sokka stated, feeling his cheeks become more flushed.

After hearing that Sokka’s song was named after a person, Ty Lee stopped paying attention to the road and turned her body to look at Sokka. “Really?! Who,” Ty Lee asked, flabbergasted.

“TY LEE! Pay attention to the road,” Both Azula and Mai yelled, fearful that Ty Lee was going to cause a collision because there was gossip involved.

* * *

“We made it here in one piece,” Mai sardonically uttered once Ty Lee put the car in park. She was thankful Ty Lee was not driving anymore, and Mai internally decided she would never allow Ty Lee to get behind the wheel ever again.

Azula reached for her two-way transceiver, “Ty Lee, Mai, check the back and stay put. Sokka and I will go through the front,” Azula declared; and before Sokka had the chance to open his mouth to protest, Azula’s facial expression turned into a scowl. After the night she was having, she was not one to be trifled with. “Zuzu, Toph, watch the front.”

“Stop calling me-“ Zuko shouted through the transceiver but was subsequently cut off by Toph. “Aye aye, Captain!”

* * *

After verifying that Sokka’s home was all-clear, Sokka entered through the doorway and walked toward the fridge. “Man, am I hungry,” Sokka proclaimed.

Just hearing Sokka’s voice was enough for Azula to feel hurt and humiliated all over again. She wanted him to stop talking and stop singing. Even if he did, Azula would still have trouble getting his voice out of her head.

Sokka, of course, was oblivious to Azula glaring daggers at him while he scavenged for food. “Azula, you want something to eat?”

_“To take your pain, I will walk a thousand miles!”_

All Azula could think about whenever Sokka would speak is the memory of him holding that wretched woman’s hand and looking at her like she was a precious jewel that glistened in the moonlight.

Azula shut her eyes tightly and crossed her arms over her chest. She wanted to shove these emotions down into a bottomless pit to prevent them from ever managing to emerge again.

_“There’s a reason he reached out for her hand and not yours,”_ Azula thought to herself in a demeaning, self-deprecating manner.

_“And after all the pain, I still melt when I see you smile…”_

“You want some leftovers when I went to-“

“Shut up,” Azula bellowed. “Why are you asking if I want to spend time with you?!”

Azula saw Sokka’s puzzled expression; in addition, Azula internally cursed both Sokka and herself. None of this would have happened if Sokka would have just kept his mouth shut.

Sokka shut the door to the fridge and attempted to walk toward Azula. He was concerned for her wellbeing, and it hurt him to see Azula this way.

“Don’t come any closer,” Azula commanded, conjuring a flame in her left hand.

“Azula, what is this about?!”

The nerve of Sokka, Azula thought to herself. “You and that other woman during the concert! That song was about her and now you want me to keep you company when she’s not here?!”

“Azula, no, you got it all wrong! The song was not about her!”

“Oh, like I am supposed to believe that,” Azula replied with aggressive sarcasm. “You reached out for her hand, Sokka! I saw it and so did everyone else in the arena!”

“Because the song was not about her, Azula!”

“Oh, so there’s a third woman? That is just great.” The flame in Azula’s hand grew bigger, and her blood was boiling at the sight of Sokka trying to explain away the very situation that she witnessed. Azula felt tears in her eyes, and she tried her hardest to conceal it to no avail.

“No! Dammit, Azula! The song was about you! It was always about you!”

Seeing Azula look so vulnerable and wounded made Sokka feel like his heart was burning inside with no chance of stopping. He wanted it all to stop; Sokka could not bear to see Azula in so much pain. Sokka stepped forward, disobeying Azula’s command which only caused the size of the flame in Azula’s hand to grow.

“All of my music has always been about you! When I think of you, I can write lyrics for hours! And that is what the song was about,” Sokka shouted again, feeling tears form in his own eyes at the revelation he has tried his hardest to maintain a secret.

“Why?”

“Because I love you, Azula!”

Azula’s eyes widened in shock, feeling her own lips quiver. She felt Sokka’s hands grasp each of her wrists and force her to dispel her flame. Moreover, she wanted to swat his hands away because all Azula could think about was Sokka using this declaration as an attempt to deceive her into accompanying him to his bed for the night.

“I named that song ‘Azula’ because I am in love with you.”

Azula looked up to meet Sokka’s gaze, and she could see the tears falling from his eyes. Azula forgot how to breathe after hearing Sokka’s admission.

Sokka reluctantly released Azula’s wrists. “Every time we were in the recording studio, you were all that I thought about. And that’s why I named that song after you, Azula. Because every time you aren’t here, I want you to come back so bad.”

Azula quickly ran the short distance between them and jumped into Sokka’s arms.

They wrapped their arms tightly around each other. “I love you…” Sokka continued to whisper in Azula’s ear. Despite each sob that escaped Azula’s lips, Sokka refused to let her go…


	2. October 10: Zuko/Katara kids are waterbenders. Sokka/Azula kids are firebenders.

**Sokkla Saturday – October 10: Zuko/Katara kids are waterbenders. Sokka/Azula kids are firebenders.**

* * *

**“Growing Pains”**

* * *

“Sokka, are you going to get up, or are you going to lie in bed all day?”

“That’s a great idea, Azula,” Sokka replied, half-asleep. He could feel Azula gently shaking his shoulder to force him to wake up.

“Aw, come on, Azula,” Sokka groaned. “Give me ten more minutes.”

“You said that thirty minutes ago!” Azula released an exasperated sigh. She figured there was no use getting this oaf to listen to logic. She just had to find a way to get Sokka out of bed before the whole day passes them by. Again.

Azula leaned down close to Sokka’s ear, “maybe we can take a shower together,” she seductively whispered.

“You already took a shower. I’m not falling for that one again,” Sokka bitterly replied, still upset that he was deceived that one-time several weeks ago. Azula figured he forgot about the whole ordeal; apparently not.

Azula frowned and rolled her eyes.

Sokka snuggled into the mattress, and Azula decided she would just use physical force to get Sokka awake. She grabbed at the blanket that was wrapped around Sokka, and she could feel Sokka tug the blanket back toward him.

“Let go!” Azula commanded.

“You let go!” Sokka defied.

Azula glared at Sokka for being so stubborn; absolutely nothing would get this moron out of bed, Azula contemptuously thought.

“Mommy! Daddy!” A little girl’s voice shouted through the door. Suddenly, it was thrown open, and the girl sprinted toward the bed with a grin.

She jumped on the bed, and her foot landed on Sokka’s thigh causing him to moan in pain. “Ow! Watch it, Keizu!”

“Good morning, Daddy!” Keizu began jumping on the mattress while Sokka was attempting to finally go back to sleep. “Uncle Zuko gave me some snacks from the kitchen! You want some?”

Suddenly, Sokka’s eyes opened and sleep became meaningless to Sokka. He relinquished his grip on the blanket which almost made Azula stumble backward.

In one fluid motion, Sokka was up and awake, rearing to go. Sokka looked at each one of Keizu’s hands, unable to find any food in either one. Sokka gave a look of utter betrayal, and Keizu giggled at Sokka’s facial expression.

Azula smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. Now, she knew a faster way to get Sokka out of bed, and that was thanks to Keizu. Sweet vengeance would certainly be hers.

“Kei, you tricked me!” Sokka lamented. Keizu continued laughing at her father’s expense. Azula, on the other hand, felt vindicated and prideful at the same time.

Sokka felt the entire world was plotting against his sleep — he just knew it. Sokka glanced over at Azula staring smugly at him. He finally got out of bed and glared into her amber eyes.

“Did you sleep well?” Azula asked, rubbing salt in Sokka’s figurative wound. Azula almost lost her composure when Sokka scowled and stomped off, grumbling something about a conspiracy against him.

Azula orchestrated this deplorable and heinous scheme, Sokka thought on his way to the bathroom.

“Good morning, Mommy!” Keizu chirped, giggling as she wrapped her small arms around Azula’s body.

“Good morning, Keizu,” Azula smiled before she leaned down to hug Keizu and kiss her on the cheek.

“Let’s get breakfast before Daddy gets grumpy again,” Azula suggested, just loud enough for Sokka to overhear.

“Hey! I don’t get grumpy!”

Azula and Keizu laughed in response.

* * *

“Keizu, do you remember your firebending forms?”

“Um, I think so,” Keizu replied uneasily. Keizu punched once and saw that she produced a small flame. “Like this?”

Keizu looked in Azula’s eyes, hoping she did not disappoint her. Keizu was aware that when Azula was her age, Azula mastered several firebending forms. Yet, Keizu seemed to have trouble with basic firebending techniques.

Azula nodded in approval, and Keizu took that as a good sign that maybe she was improving after all.

This time, Keizu watched as Azula punched and released a large, azure flame. She was impressed with how powerful her mother was to create a flame of that caliber with ease.

Keizu replicated Azula’s technique and felt that there was no improvement because the flame was still small and weak in comparison to Azula’s fire.

Keizu continued to punch; however, her mind was clouded by comparing her flames to Azula’s. Keizu began to feel incompetent for her lack of progress. Furthermore, in desperation, Keizu began tempestuously striking to increase the size and heat of her flames.

“Why am I so weak?!” Keizu thought to herself.

Azula noticed how Keizu was losing control of her stances. These erratic movements would cause her to be a danger on the battlefield if she were not cautious, Azula postulated.

“Keizu-“

Keizu shouted and punched with all her might. This time, the size of the flame barely increased. Keizu broke her form and began panting.

Azula closed the distance between them with quick footsteps. “Keizu, what is the matter?”

Keizu quickly turned to face her mother and grimaced when she could see the concern on Azula’s face. She was a disgrace. Princess Keizu, the daughter of Princess Azula of the Fire Nation — the firebending prodigy — was a terrible firebender.

“I’m bad at firebending, okay!” Keizu yelled. After her outburst, Keizu looked to the ground in shame; she wanted to run away and stop being an embarrassment to Azula.

Azula could see the tears in Keizu’s amber eyes and felt heartbroken herself to see her child in wallowing in despair.

Azula kneeled before Keizu. Her hand gently cupped Keizu’s cheek, “you’re not bad at firebending,” Azula replied with certainty.

Keizu looked down into her mother’s eyes. “My firebending isn’t as good as yours,” Keizu mumbled before looking again at the ground again in shame.

Suddenly, Azula put all the pieces together. Keizu’s admission made Azula feel like her heart was being torn apart. Just imagining Keizu comparing herself to Azula and viciously cutting herself down for not measuring up was too difficult for Azula to bear.

Azula pulled Keizu in for a tight embrace — an embrace she wished one of her parents would have given her when she was Keizu’s age.

“I will always love you, Keizu!” Azula whispered in Keizu’s ear.

Azula felt the pain that Keizu felt for chasing perfection and indomitable power. She vowed she would never be like her parents; however, seeing Keizu like this made Azula feel as if she witnessed a younger version of herself trying to appease her father...

Azula let Keizu tug at her clothes and use her mother’s clothing to muffle the sound of her sobs. “It’s okay, Kei,” Azula whispered into Keizu’s ear. “I love you for who you are, Kei...” Azula brushed Keizu’s hair with her fingertips and kissed her forehead.

* * *

“Daddy, check out this water whip!”

Zuko’s eyes widened when Kya’s water whip was going in the opposite direction, definitely not where Kya intended. “Kya!” Zuko shouted.

“OW!” Sokka yelled out in pain at the contact of the water whip to his face. He thought he dealt with enough of Katara’s waterbending when they were children in the South Pole. But even Katara’s waterbending was not as powerful as Kya’s at the same age.

“Sorry, Uncle Sokka!” Kya shouted, embarrassed. Zuko grabbed Kya’s hand and jogged over to Sokka, “are you okay, Sokka?”

This was turning into a bad day for Sokka. First, he was tragically deceived by Keizu. Second, he was gravely assaulted by his niece, Kya. And now he was all wet. Fantastic. The universe was against him. As usual.

“Uncle Sokka, are you okay?” Kya questioned while Sokka was still on the floor. Kya gathered the water that soaked her uncle’s body and bended the water back in her container.

Sokka leaned his torso against the wall and began rubbing his cheek.

“Sokka, should I get a Palace physician?” Zuko inquired.

“No, I’m fine,” Sokka lied. The last thing he wanted was for this to turn into eight-year-old Kya beating a grown man with a single water whip. His ego would take a serious hit. Azula and Katara would never let him hear the end of it.

Speaking of Katara, “Where’s Katara?” Sokka asked after he stopped rubbing his cheek.

“She’s arguing with a nobleman,” Zuko replied nonchalantly.

“But you’re the Fire Lord,” Sokka replied. Why would Katara be arguing with some random nobleman, he inquired.

“They’re more scared of her than they’re scared of me,” Zuko admitted which caused Kya to giggle.

“Mommy said she would use her waterbending to throw them all the way to the Earth Kingdom!” Kya added in admiration which made Zuko flush in embarrassment. Kya attempted to demonstrate the move but Zuko’s hand quickly grasped Kya’s wrist.

“Maybe this is enough waterbending for today, Kya,” Zuko reasoned with his daughter. He feared Kya would hurl both him and Sokka across the Palace. Kya reluctantly agreed.

“PLEASE FORGIVE ME, FIRE LADY KATARA!” a voice shouted, almost in agony.

“Is that Qin’s voice?” Azula asked, entering with Keizu who was happily holding her hand.

“Kei!” Kya cried out in excitement, rushing to hug her cousin who reciprocated.

Zuko was surprised by how silent Azula and Keizu rendezvoused; however, he assumed the noise of Qin’s pleading drowned the sound of their footsteps. “Yes.”

“Sokka, why are you on the floor?” Azula questioned, evaluating the potential possibilities why Sokka would be on the floor of all places.

Sokka glanced over at Kya and Zuko who visibly seemed panicked. Sokka, of course, did not want Azula to ostracize him for being bested by an eight-year-old with one attack if he told the truth.

“Hey,” Sokka interrupted Azula’s train of thought by changing the subject. “Is Qin the one with the weird mustache?”

“No,” Azula replied. “That’s Chang. Qin is the one with the punchable face.”

“Azula!” Zuko chastised, trying to protect the innocence of his daughter and his niece. The last thing he wanted was for them to blurt out obscenities about the noblemen in public.

“Children, cover your ears,” Azula ordered; and with a quickness, both Keizu and Kya complied. “My apologies, Fire Lord Zuko,” Azula replied in a sarcastic tone. “Qin is the one with the _extremely_ punchable face.”

Zuko facepalmed dramatically. This was not what Zuko had meant, but at least the children did not hear Azula continue to admonish the Fire Nation nobility. Zuko just had to take a mental note to keep the children away from Chang’s weird mustache and Qin’s punchable face before they mention it in front of the noblemen.

“So, why is Qin shouting in the Palace?” Azula inquired. Sokka internally felt relief wash over him when Azula was not interested in why Sokka was still on the floor. For now, he was saved from being the punchline of her jokes.

Zuko sighed, knowing what would come next. “Qin and Katara were arguing about the changes to the Fire Nation trading policies, and Qin said that it wasn’t a woman’s place to have such an opinion. I was about to say something but Katara grabbed my shoulder, smiled, and asked me to leave.”

Zuko saw how quickly Azula’s facial expression morphed from a deep frown at Qin’s sexist comment into intrigue at the mention of Katara smiling. She knew how someone could look menacing with a smile, and Azula was destined to have a front-row seat to watch Qin get demolished by Katara.

* * *

Kya pulled water from her container, feeling the push and pull of the water that coated her right hand. She pushed the water to her fingertips and made the water into a mixture of ice and water. She wanted the ice to be completely solid; however, it was difficult for her to change the state of water. Kya hoped the ice to be sharp, but Kya’s ice was blunted.

“Take this!” Kya proclaimed, firing ice-like projectiles from her fingertips. To Kya’s detriment, the projectiles did not get launched as far as she would have hoped. She groaned at her mediocre display of waterbending.

Even with the power of a full moon to assist her waterbending prowess, Kya’s waterbending abilities were not what she expected. Everything in her mind was asserting that she was a failure, and Kya had reason to believe it.

Kya focused on the small boulder in front of her and retrieved more water from her container. If she had trouble forming ice, using water exclusively should be no problem, Kya reasoned. This time, she had to prove herself.

Kya began forming her water whip using the water from a nearby turtleduck pond. She could feel the water she was wielding, and Kya had to prove that she would not fail this time. She glared at the boulder and knew she was not going to be the failure like the voice in her head suggested.

“Kya, what are you doing?” Katara asked, peeking over to see Kya trying to bend water from the turtleduck pond. “It’s almost dinnertime.”

Kya jumped once she heard her mother’s voice. The water that she attempted to retrieve from the pond fell back in. She turned around to face her mother with an embarrassed look on her face. “Every time I waterbend, I mess up,” Kya admitted. “I tried to show Daddy my water whip, but I accidentally hit Uncle Sokka...”

Katara saw a younger version of herself when she heard Kya’s admission. She smiled sympathetically and kneeled to be eye-level with Kya. “I did the same thing when I was your age, Kya,”

Kya’s eyes widened in disbelief. She thought her mother was a master waterbender who always succeeded. “Really?” Kya inquired.

Katara smiled again and laughed which puzzled Kya some more. “I also got Uncle Sokka wet plenty of times,” Katara admitted, reminiscing about how frustrated Sokka was with Katara and her “magic” water.

“At first, I was really bad at waterbending,” Katara intently looked into Kya’s eyes “but every time I got knocked down, I got right back up.”

Katara wrapped an arm around Kya’s body and pulled her close, “You’re going to be a great waterbender someday, Kya.”

“You really think so?” Kya hesitantly questioned, looking into her mother’s eyes.

Katara smiled again, “of course I do, Kya. I love you,” Katara replied, giving Kya a firm squeeze.

Kya hugged Katara’s body tightly and buried her face in Katara’s chest. The voice in her head that called her a failure was silenced. “I love you, too, Mommy…”


	3. Sokkla Saturday 2020: October 17 -- Touch

**Sokkla Saturday 2020: October 17 – Touch**

* * *

**“Rescue”**

* * *

**{A/N: Sorry this update is super late. I only have time to write on the weekends, and writer’s block decided to strike on each of those weekends. Please accept my apology with a slightly longer chapter. Speaking of the new chapter, there are a few trigger warnings. TW: blood; TW: gore; TW: human trafficking; TW: torture; TW: murder }**

* * *

Sokka started coughing at the feeling of getting punched at the base of his sternum. Everything was hazy except for the torch that flickered on the other side of the bunker. Each punch made Sokka wish he could break free from his restraints.

“Where is she?!” The commander shouted.

“Just like most of your hair — gone,” Sokka replied in between his wheezing. His venomous remark caused the commander’s face to contort into an atrocious scowl.

Sokka braced himself for impact, but the scoundrel attacked Sokka again at the base of the sternum. He felt like the air was knocked out of his lungs. Sokka tried to focus on the light of the torch but his vision became blurry. He felt another blow to his chest, and everything went black.

* * *

**EIGHT HOURS EARLIER**

* * *

“Azula, what is this place?” Sokka asked as he saw the village in front of him. The Hundred Year War ended years ago; however, this village seemed to still feel the ripple effects of the war. The houses were burned or the homes had gaping holes where the front door was meant to be. Occasionally, Sokka saw homes with both types of damage.

Azula walked several meters toward a house, and the fire damage looked older than the holes. She wondered why the village would not have repaired the damage to the homes. Azula furrowed her eyebrows in confusion until Sokka broke her train of thought.

“Azula, check this out.” Azula turned around and walked approximately twenty meters to the home Sokka was examining. “This one was attacked by firebenders and earthbenders...”

“Firebenders attacked this village first,” Azula corrected. She paused for a while, assessing the damage.

“And then earthbenders attacked?” Sokka asked, unsure of the answer. He could still see splinters of wood, boulders, and food. Someone was having a meal in this house when the earthbenders attacked...

Sokka’s eyes widened in shock. “Azula!” Sokka hissed, looking back at her. “There’s someone in there!” Sokka rushed inside the home through the doorway that was busted open by a boulder.

Azula, on the other hand, scanned the area and felt uneasy about the situation they were in. She went inside moments after Sokka who was already tending to the injured resident.

Sokka kneeled down before the middle-aged man, and Sokka eerily knew his chances for survival were abysmal. He was stabbed in the chest by something sharp, and he was lying in a pool of his own blood. “Don’t worry. We’re here to help. What happened?”

A weak wail of pain escaped the man. “C-Commander Gow...” Just saying those two words seemed to hurt him beyond compare. “Took my family... save... them...”

Azula shut her eyes as she heard the man’s last words before he died. She quietly walked toward Sokka who remained as motionless as a statue. “Sokka,” Azula whispered. “He’s gone... Let’s get out of here...”

“There‘s four bowls, Azula,” Sokka replied, emotionless. “Gow kidnapped three people and left him to die...”

Azula noticed a tiny, bloody footprint that was pointed toward the door. The child saw their father get impaled, Azula reasoned. The family was attacked while they were having dinner, and the children saw their father get impaled. Azula kept that information from Sokka. They both had to remain objective, and she feared Sokka would be swayed by his emotions.

Sokka gently moved his hand to shut the deceased father’s eyes. Sokka got up, and something appeared in the corner of his eye. Instead of turning to Azula who was behind him, Sokka turned to the left and saw a portrait of the family. Based on the body language and the wide smiles, they were very happy on that day...

“Sokka,” Azula whispered again, she cautiously maneuvered to stand in front of Sokka. She stared up into Sokka’s blue irises, and she could see how his sclerae were tinged in crimson. She did not know how to soothe Sokka, and it pained her to see Sokka so devastated.

When Sokka finally turned around to glance at the door, he saw the bloody footprints. He thought he heard Azula gulp, but he knew what the bloody footprints meant. Sokka raced to get outside of the home, but Azula blocked his path. “Get out of the way, Azula!” Sokka commanded; however, Azula remained steadfast in front of the door.

Sokka removed his club with his right hand and pointed it at Azula. “Move!” Sokka shouted.

Azula could see the tears in his eyes form. She pushed Sokka’s right arm aside and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel Sokka’s body shake each time he uttered, “why’d they have to kill him?”

* * *

“Get the prisoners out of here!” A man’s voice bellowed. He appeared to be bald except for the back of his head which remained long. He raised both of his twin hammers and flung two boulders at the village walls that lined the perimeter. The villagers stood in a line behind the commander and watched as their village became desecrated once more.

A little boy began sniffling when he registered the tone of the man’s voice. The boy feared that voice, and he did not know where he and his family were going. He tugged on his mother’s robes to get her attention. “Where’s Daddy,” he asked.

The boy’s older sister looked at her younger brother and began to sniffle as well. She tried to conceal the sound, but she replayed the memory of her father being maimed by the soldier’s spear. The sniffles turned into sobs, and she eventually started crying.

Once the daughter started crying, the son began crying, too. “If you don’t get those brats to shut up, I’m gonna do to them what I did to your husband,” a soldier whispered into the mother’s ear. Her eyes widened in a concoction of terror and shock. She pulled both of her children close to her, and she did her best to console them. Tears cascaded from the mother’s eyes, yet she remained expressionless while they stood in line.

* * *

Sokka and Azula continued to search the remaining homes for survivors or any clues where Gow and his men were heading. No one else seems to have been murdered; however, that brought little solace to Sokka. All he could remember is staring into the eyes of the man who used his remaining strength to plead for his family’s safety.

Both were quiet; their usual, sarcastic banter eluded them. Azula occasionally glanced at Sokka to see how he was faring, finding no changes to his demeanor each time.

While they continued to peruse the village, they could hear voices in the distance. They were getting close.

Sokka could see the line of villagers, and he thought of his home in the Southern Water Tribe. If things had gone any differently during one of the Fire Nation raids, he would have been in the same predicament as these villagers. Their homes were destroyed; moreover, the people experienced a collective trauma.

Sokka squinted his eyes and he saw three soldiers carrying spears. One of them was still bloody; that soldier did not even bother to clean his weapon.

“Azula, wait. I have a plan.”

* * *

“Tell the prisoners to hurry it up,” the man with the twin hammers complained.

“Yes, Commander,” a soldier replied.

Once Sokka realized the man with the twin hammers was Commander Gow, his frown turned into a scowl.

“GOW!” Sokka shouted at the top of his lungs. Sokka withdrew his club and pointed the weapon at Gow’s direction. “Let these villagers go,” Sokka ordered.

Gow turned around and stared at Sokka with disdain. Then, Gow gave Sokka an overconfident grin. Sokka was too far away to be a danger with his club, and Gow could fire boulders at Sokka’s direction. This rebellion would be ground to dust.

“Get the prisoners out of here,” Gow ordered one of his soldiers. Gow watched as his three soldiers began escorting the villagers out of the exit that Gow created with his bending.

From thirty meters away, Sokka wanted to shred Gow’s smug facial expression. He glared into Gow’s eyes and sprinted toward the earthbender.

Gow jumped back and used his earthbending to shoot a chunk of earth at Sokka.

Sokka barrel rolled out of the way at the last second to avoid the rock, covering himself in dust in the process.

While Sokka was getting up from the ground, Gow struck the ground with his hammer and propelled a boulder.

Sokka swung his club against the boulder, watching the rock shatter into a plethora of chunks of earth. Sokka grunted and continued running toward Gow.

Gow struck the ground with each hammer and fired two boulders at Sokka. Sokka dodged the first two, but Gow sent a third that struck him in the chest.

Sokka grunted as he got pushed back by the boulder’s force. Gow used the opportunity to advance toward Sokka, striking the ground multiple times and shooting the earth at Sokka.

* * *

Two spearmen flanked the single-file line of prisoners, and the other stayed four meters behind the last person in line. The spearman at the back had a visual of both spearmen on each flank.

The soldier who brought up the rear heard rustling and turned around angrily before getting smacked with a thick tree branch. He stumbled to the side and a shadowy figure destroyed his spear with a single punch.

The villagers and the soldiers turned around to see someone easily disarming the soldier. The soldier was then shoved to the ground and kicked in the face, rendering him incapacitated.

“Who are you?!” One of the spearmen with a bloody spear asked.

“Someone who’s a little jealous they didn’t get invited to the party,” Azula sarcastically replied. Once she saw the only bloody spear pointed at her and the animal who wielded it, Azula refused to hide her contempt.

One soldier charged at Azula while the soldier with the bloody spear kept the prisoners in line.

Azula dodged each blow with ease. “Honestly, I’m surprised the Earth Kingdom allowed you to be a soldier,” Azula taunted. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid to fight a girl.” She smirked when the soldier took the bait and charged angrily at her.

Azula jumped back and began chastising the soldier. “I’ve seen children with more discipline than you.” She rolled her eyes once the spearman attempted to attack again.

Azula jumped to the left just as the spearman was intending to stab her. Then, Azula lifted her leg and used her heel to break the spear, separating the metal point from the shaft.

The soldier gasped when Azula grabbed the other end of the shaft and jabbed his stomach with the wooden shaft.

Azula felt the soldier release his grip on the wooden shaft, so she stole it when the soldier began stumbling backward. Azula swung the soldier’s broken spear just like the tree branch she used earlier, and the soldier became inebriated

Azula stared at the remaining soldier, smirking once more. She carelessly chucked the wooden instrument behind her and crossed her arms over her chest.

* * *

Sokka was finally within striking distance of Gow. Sokka violently swung his club down, aiming for Gow’s head. His blow was parried by one of Gow’s hammers.

Gow performed a push kick to shove Sokka back. Next, Gow struck the earth and created a tremor to push Sokka back even further.

Sokka landed harshly on his back. He gritted his teeth as he continued sliding against the floor. The force that knocked Sokka back caused strands of his hair to separate from his wolf tail, partly obstructing his vision.

_“... my family... save... them...”_

Sokka struggled to get up from the floor, using his anger to neglect his injuries. Sokka sprinted toward Gow again, abandoning the notion of allowing Gow to continue breathing.

With hatred fueling his body, Sokka decided to stop expending so much energy on shattering the rocks that Gow used; he could just parry them. Gow’s head would feel the full force of his club, Sokka vowed.

Sokka hurled his boomerang toward Gow, which Gow dodged. Gow created another tremor, and Sokka jumped over the earth that protruded.

After landing on the rock, Sokka hopped toward Gow to close the distance between them again. Sokka watched as Gow prepared to parry the blow to the head by using his hammers to cover his face. Sokka used the opportunity to strike Gow’s right arm violently. Based on the screaming and cursing, Sokka determined he cracked Gow’s ulna and radius.

Gow could not hold his right hammer anymore and used his left to strike the floor repeatedly to keep Sokka at bay. Though significantly less powerful since his right forearm was in pain, Gow struck Sokka’s face with his hammer and incapacitated him.

* * *

Sokka woke up with a headache. His hand instinctively went to massage the blow to his face from Gow’s hammer; however, Sokka’s hand was not moving. His eyes shifted from left to right, noticing that each of his limbs were restrained to the wall with earthbending.

Sokka reasoned that Gow must have captured him after knocking him out. Sokka fought against the earth that plastered his wrists and ankles to the wall to no avail. He gritted his teeth and tried again, determined to break free and break every bone in Gow’s body.

While Sokka was struggling to break free, Gow fired a rock at Sokka’s chest from the other side of the narrow, rectangular room.

Sokka groaned in pain and gave up fighting against his restraints. “Where am I?” Sokka asked, looking around the cave-like room with items to strike Gow if he broke free.

“We’re in my bunker,” Gow stated simply, using a spark rock to light a torch that dimly illuminated the room. Gow was waiting for Sokka in the shadows, ready to attack if Sokka managed to escape.

“Why did your soldiers kill that man?” Sokka asked, staring coldly into Gow’s olive-green irises.

“He stood in my way.”

Sokka recalled the family portrait and began to scowl, “he was protecting his family!” Sokka aggressively corrected.

* * *

Azula picked up the spear with the dried blood, examining the sharp tip that can easily cut flesh. She turned around to face the three Earth Kingdom soldiers who were bound and chained to one another. “Do you remember this place?” Azula asked, staring at the faces of the cowards. “And if you need help remembering, maybe this will help.”

Azula stabbed one of the Earth Kingdom soldiers in the foot with the spear. He screamed and wailed while Azula remained unfazed.

“The three of you and Gow killed that man over there,” Azula pointed to the corpse of the father, who was behind the three soldiers. “You will tell me everything about Gow and his plans.”

Azula pulled the spear out from the soldier’s foot, making the man scream out in pain again. She pointed the tip of the spear at the injured soldier.

“After the War ended, Gow tricked this village into thinking the Fire Nation was attacking again.”

Azula raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. “So, you three set this village on fire?”

The soldiers nodded in unison. “Gow made the villagers give us money to protect them...”

“Except this village ran out of money; just like the others...” another soldier continued.

Azula frowned at the last comment. Gow has been using the same scheme for years to enrich himself off the backs of innocent civilians.

* * *

“Who’s Azula?” Gow leaned against the wall and began tending to his injuries.

Sokka nearly gasped, he must have uttered her name in Gow’s presence while he was delirious. He hoped Azula was safe, and Sokka did not know how much time had passed either. Did Azula rescue the villagers and move them to a safer location?

Sokka began thinking to himself. If he was knocked unconscious, he should have remained unconscious for several hours – at most; which meant Gow’s bunker was relatively close to the village.

“She’s my partner,” Sokka replied smugly. “Who do you think attacked your guards?”

Sokka studied the shocked expression on Gow’s face; Gow must have been unaware that his men were ambushed by Azula. And judging by Gow’s reaction, the guards were definitely not in the bunker. Evidently, Sokka and Gow were alone in the bunker.

Even though Sokka was restrained to the bunker’s wall, he seemed to be in more control than Gow.

Sokka grinned once he figuratively had the upper hand against Gow. “I was the distraction, Gow.”

“Silence!” Gow shouted, punching Sokka in the chest. Gow could hear Sokka wallow in pain; however, that did little to quell Gow’s anxiety now that he had a target on his back.

* * *

“Why did the villagers become prisoners?” Azula inquired, glancing down at the blood oozing out of the soldier’s foot. She glared into the eyes of each soldier, and that only made them fear her more.

“If-if the villagers don’t pay, we sell them to the highest bidder,” a soldier stated carelessly.

Azula was internally taken aback by the soldier’s nonchalance, yet Azula remained composed; the judgment in her eyes saying more than she was.

She could only imagine the horror on the children’s faces when their father got impaled by the spear. Moreover, to think that the children would be separated from their families to satiate these avaricious cowards made her blood boil.

Azula conjured a flame and thought of the father begging her and Sokka to save his family. She doubted those smiles from the family portrait would return.

“Firebender?!” A soldier screeched, wary of the heat that resonated on Azula’s palm.

The family would never be safe if these animals were to continue existing. Despite her inner turmoil, Azula’s voice was steady. “Where is Gow?” Sokka was likely with Gow, and Azula began worrying about Sokka’s welfare since Sokka’s plan backfired. “Where is Gow?” Azula repeated sternly, bringing the flame dangerously close to the clothing of one soldier. If one of the soldier’s clothing caught on fire, the fire would spread to the others.

* * *

Sokka started coughing at the feeling of getting punched at the base of his sternum. Everything was hazy except for the torch that flickered on the other side of the bunker. Each punch made Sokka wish he could break free from his restraints.

“Where is she?!” The commander shouted.

“Just like most of your hair — gone,” Sokka replied in between his wheezing. His venomous remark caused the commander’s face to contort into an atrocious scowl.

Sokka braced himself for impact, but the scoundrel attacked Sokka again at the base of the sternum. He felt like the air was knocked out of his lungs. Sokka tried to focus on the light of the torch but his vision became blurry. He felt another blow to his chest, and everything went black.

“Wake up!” Gow ordered, firing another rock at Sokka’s chest. Gow smirked when he saw Sokka writhe in agony and desperately struggle against the earth that pinned him to the wall.

“It looks like I broke your ribs. Pathetic...”

Sokka could barely keep his eyes open now. He did his best to keep his attention on the orange flame and not on Gow who was advancing toward him. Sokka wished he could see blue flames, but he knew it was too late now. All he could hope for was for Azula and the villagers to be safe.

* * *

_Sokka began recalling happier memories with Azula, keenly aware of his fate. “I think you got lucky to go on an adventure with me,” Sokka boasted, walking ahead of Azula without a care in the world._

_“You and I have different definitions of lucky,” Azula replied, rolling her eyes. Azula hoped Sokka would trip over a tree root and fall to the ground. Then, she would be lucky._

* * *

_Later in the forest, Sokka had an eerie sense that someone was watching them. He tried to rationalize it as something minuscule; however, that feeling lingered and tantalized his paranoia. “Azula, look out!” Sokka yelled, pushing Azula out of the archer’s line of fire. Sokka shouted in pain as the arrow struck his shoulder. All that mattered was keeping Azula safe._

_“I saw the archer, you idiot! You could have gotten yourself killed!” Azula yelled. Her hands were balled into fists, and she wanted to strike Sokka for being so reckless._

_“Then, I will die to protect you, Azula...”_

* * *

_It was dark in Azula’s bedroom. Sokka figured they both needed their sleep and that he should leave. Part of him was lecturing the other part for wanting to leave Azula. “Sokka...” Azula whispered, betraying her better judgment to grasp his hand. “Stay...”_

_The voice that was lecturing him stopped immediately. Sokka turned around and looked into Azula’s eyes. He thought they looked mesmerizing when the sunlight made her irises shine even brighter. Yet, in this dark room, Sokka got lost staring into her eyes. There was something different when he had the pleasure of looking into her eyes at night. He felt like he was lost somewhere, and those eyes were on his journey to salvation._

_Sokka let go of Azula’s hand, and he moved both of his hands to cup Azula’s cheeks. Sokka leaned down and gently kissed Azula. He shut his eyes and focused solely on her. His heart felt like it was beating a million times a minute…_

* * *

_“I like playing with your hair,” Sokka uttered, inhaling the scent of her perfume. Her hair felt like silk, and he just wanted to lay there with Azula for hours._

_“I don’t.” Azula lied. “Continue,” she added immediately afterward, laying her head on Sokka’s bicep. She kissed the scar on his shoulder where he was pierced by the archer. Azula hooked her leg across Sokka’s body, pinning him down where she wanted him to be._

_Azula felt at peace with Sokka running his fingers through her hair, and the sound of Sokka’s consistent heart thumping inside of his chest made her drift to soundly sleep…_

* * *

Sokka tried to say something but nothing came out of his mouth, causing Gow to come closer.

“Where is Azula?” Gow asked, readying one of his twin hammers to smash through Sokka’s rib cage.

Sokka stared into the eyes of Gow, unafraid of death. Sokka tried to answer Gow’s question; however, what came out was a hoarse whisper.

Once Gow was inches away from Sokka, Sokka spat on Gow’s face. It hurt Sokka deep in the chest when he started to chuckle. The pain became excruciating when Sokka’s amusement caused him to wheeze again.

Tears began to form in Sokka’s eyes. He gathered his remaining strength, accepting that he will never get to see Azula again in this lifetime. “I’ll never tell you where Azula is!” Sokka shouted with conviction in his voice. Maybe he was the lucky one who got to travel with Azula...

Gow’s face contorted in a mix of rage and disgust. He used his upper arm to wipe off the spit on his face. Gow glared into Sokka’s eyes and used all of his strength to swing the hammer down onto Sokka’s ribs. Gow was intent on smashing through the bone...

Before the hammer reached Sokka, Gow felt an intense, piercing pain on his back. His body was covered in electricity. The smell of burning flesh and the sound of Gow’s screams filled the bunker.

“Sokka!” Azula yelled, rushing to the other side of the bunker. She was panting when she reached Sokka, afraid to touch him. She could tell he had been brutalized, and Azula did not want to accidentally injure him.

“Az-Azula?” Sokka hoarsely asked. He furrowed his eyebrows. Was this a dream? What was Azula doing here? He had so many questions, but he was certain seeing Azula was just a figment of his imagination. He closed his eyes again and reopened them to see if Azula was still there.

Azula was still there. “Azula!” Sokka called out, wanting to reach her yet remembering that he was still restrained.

“I’ll get you out!” Azula declared, her eyes flicking to the most efficient object to liberate Sokka. Azula grabbed Gow’s hammer from his corpse and struck the earth that plastered Sokka’s ankles to the wall. She gritted her teeth as she shattered the earth that pinned each of Sokka’s wrists.

Azula tossed the hammer behind her. Now that Sokka had nothing restraining him, Sokka would have fell face-first onto the floor if Azula had not been there to catch him. Azula grimaced when Sokka moaned in pain.

“Can you walk?” Azula asked and Sokka nodded in agreement. She kept one arm around Sokka’s waist while he hooked his arm around her shoulder. Sokka leaned on Azula as they walked by Gow’s corpse; he craned his neck to see if Gow was still breathing. However, Azula kept moving them both forward, so Sokka glanced up at the torch that was above the exit. He thought he would never make it out of here alive.

* * *

Once they made it outside, Sokka was greeted by the adult villagers. The villagers were organized in two single-file lines and in between each line were their three oppressors who were chained together. It would seem Azula used the adult villagers as her escort on the way to Gow’s bunker while the children were supervised somewhere safe.

A woman walked forward to meet both Sokka and Azula. Her sclerae were red like she had been crying for hours. Sokka could have sworn she looked familiar until realization struck him – the portrait. “Thank you for saving our lives, brave warriors.” She and the rest of the villagers bowed deeply in front of Sokka and Azula. The woman motioned for two men to take Sokka back to the village for medical treatment.

Azula reluctantly accepted help from one of the villagers, supporting Sokka’s right side while she kept a firm grip on his left. Azula glared into the eyes of the other villager who was meant to relieve Azula of her duties.

Azula nodded at the woman before them and commenced their journey to the village. One of the single-file line of villagers led the way to the village while the other line kept a watchful eye over the disgraced Earth Kingdom soldiers.

Azula stopped walking, halting both Sokka and the villager who was assisting her. She stared at the village in the distance for a while before exhaling. “Liang,” Azula called and the woman responded. “Make sure they suffer,” Azula added, resuming the walk to the village.

* * *

Liang did not respond to Azula; she walked over to the villagers and retrieved the spear that murdered her husband. She pointed the spear at the neck of one of the soldiers – the one who killed her husband and threatened the lives of her children.

“P-Please!” the soldier began to beg in front of Liang who remained as expressionless as she had when she was their prisoner. Liang moved closer and let the tip of the spear graze the soldier’s neck – just deep enough to draw blood.

The other two soldiers watched as their compatriot was shaking and in fear for his life. The three of them felt the scornful gaze of the villagers – judgment was imminent.

“If you don’t shut up, I’m gonna do what you did to my husband,” Liang quoted the soldier maliciously. She kneeled before the soldier with the spear still pointed at his neck. She looked into the eyes of the men who killed her husband and traumatized her family, and her expression morphed into contempt. The scornful glares from the villagers were nothing compared to Liang.

Liang watched the oppressor pant like a dog and tremble in fear. She stood back up and pointed the spear in the direction of Gow’s bunker. “Get the prisoners out of here!” Liang quoted Gow which made the soldiers petrified.

* * *

Sokka hissed in pain when he opened his eyes. He could have sworn he was in the bunker. Now, he was in a bed somewhere familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. Sokka noticed Azula sitting on a chair inches away from his bedside and decided to remain silent. There were heavy bags under her eyes as if she had not slept in days. How long was he unconscious?

“S-Sokka?” Azula murmured. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and rubbed her eyes. “You’re awake.”

“It’s about time you wake up,” Sokka sighed. “Did you enjoy your beauty sleep, Princess?” Sokka asked sarcastically.

Azula smirked at Sokka’s sardonic comment and punched his arm with all her might.

“Ow! Hey, Azula – watch it! I’m injured!”

“Not enough, I suppose.” Azula replied while Sokka began rubbing his arm.

Sokka began carefully examining his arm, “I think you left a bruise!”

Azula rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. She could not fight the small smile she made now that Sokka was awake and back to his usual self. Azula closed her eyes and exhaled deeply in relief for the first time in what felt like ages.

“How long was I unconscious?” Sokka asked, changing the subject.

“Three days,” Azula replied, keeping her eyes shut. She moved her hand from her lap and rested her head on her palm.

Sokka reached over to grab Azula’s hand that rested on her lap. His thumb rubbed the back of her hand gently. “Thank you, Azula,” Sokka paused, swallowing hard. “…for saving my life back there. I thought I was going to die…”

Azula opened her eyes and stared into Sokka’s cerulean irises. She could not think of anything to say – no witticism or curt response came to mind. Each time Sokka rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, she felt like she was being pulled into a deep slumber.

After a long silence between them, Azula spoke. “I think you got lucky to go on an adventure with me.”

“You and I have two different definitions of lucky.”

Sokka saw how quickly Azula began to smile, and he did the same. Sokka pulled Azula’s hand close to him and softly kissed her hand…


End file.
